ARTIFICIAL SHELL-DEPOSITS. 229 



" That considerable time was required to heap up these shells, is evident, 

 and, moreover, indicated by the chalky, porous appearance and fragility of many 

 of the valves ; but those that were cast away at later periods exhibit these signs 

 of decay in a far less degree, and are even sometimes as sound as though they 

 had but lately been left on the shore by high water. A great number of the 

 shells are broken, especially those of clams, which seem to be more brittle than 

 oyster-shells. This breaking into ft-agments is caused by the sudden changes of 

 temperature, in consequence of which the valves crack and ultimately fall to 

 pieces. Concerning the depth of this deposit, I learned that about twelve years 

 ago several hundred loads of shells were taken away from a certain spot for 

 making a road. The excavation thus produced reached about eight feet down- 

 ward, and the mass was found to consist throughout that depth of shells, sand, 

 and pebbles. My own diggings, which were, however, of a more superficial 

 character, led to the same result. This shell-bed is about half a mile distant 

 from the shore at low tide, and the intervening area consists chiefly of so-called 

 salt-meadow. In transporting the shell-fish to the camping-place it is probable 

 that the aborigines availed themselves of a small nameless creek (marked a on 

 the plan) running toward the sea, west of the shell-bed, and not very distant 

 from it. This creek, though rather narrow, is sufficiently deep for canoe-navi- 

 gation during high water, and joins the more considerable Conaskonck Creek, 

 which flows into the beach. There was, consequently, a water-connection between 

 the sea and the camp. The space enclosed by a dotted line on the accompanying- 

 plan indicates the continuation, or rather the running out, of the shell-bed just 

 described ; for here the shells are by far less numerous, and form no longer 

 heaps, but lie thinly scattered over the ground, which is partly under cultivation, 

 and swampy in some places, as marked in the sketch, by which it is only intended 

 to show approximately the location and extent of the deposit."* 



My search for aboriginal artefacts among these shell-heaps and in the 

 adjacent fields was very successful ; for I obtained a considerable number of 

 arrow-heads, cutters, etc., of flint, quartz, and other materials, grooved axes of 

 sandstone and greenstone, and many fragments of a rude, dark pottery, fi^e- 

 quently mixed with coarse sand, yet sometimes bearing ornamental lines and 

 notches. I also found a piece of a large potstone vessel. No bone implements 

 were met with. 



The great number of flint articles, especially arrow-heads, and of remnants 

 of clay vessels, found at this place — not to speak of the quantity and appear- 

 ance of the shells — indicates its long-continued use as a camping-ground. 

 Arrow-heads, etc., were made on the spot. This became evident not only from 

 the abundance of flint chips which lie scattered among the shells, but also from 



* Artificial Shell-Doposits in New Jersey ; Smithsonian Report for 1864 ; p. 372. 



